A mother and daughter attending a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, August 16, 2026, were reportedly told by security to cover up T-shirts that stated "XX-XY" or face ejection.
Kasey Thomason and her 17-year-old daughter, Annie, were seated courtside at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Kasey Thomason wore a shirt with "XX-XY" in stars and stripes, while her daughter wore a shirt with "XX" on the front and "For the Girls" on the back, apparel associated with XX-XY Athletics, which advocates for women's sports and spaces to be exclusively for biological females.
According to reports, a security guard approached the Thomasons during overtime, stating that a fan was offended by their shirts. They were allegedly given the option to wear provided Atlanta Dream "Wellness & Health Night" T-shirts or be removed from the game. The Thomasons complied to avoid missing the final minutes of the game, which the Indiana Fever won 95-91.
State Farm Arena's prohibited items list and the NBA Fan Code of Conduct generally prohibit clothing with "explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization" or "obscene or indecent messages." However, the security guard reportedly only cited the shirts as "offensive" without referencing specific rules.
Kasey Thomason suggested to Fox News Digital/OutKick that the complaint may have originated from a fan seated courtside wearing a "Protect Trans Rights" t-shirt, who had been featured on the video board earlier in the game. Annie Thomason reportedly identified the same woman as the one who complained to security.
The incident occurred during the Dream's "Wellness & Health Night," which the team's website stated aims to "use the power of sport to improve health outcomes for women and girls across Georgia." The Thomasons believe their treatment contradicted the event's stated purpose.
This event follows a similar incident less than a month prior, where two teenagers wearing XX-XY T-shirts were reportedly verbally attacked by a co-owner of the Seattle Storm. The co-owner was subsequently suspended and fined by the team.